Security is often described as a continuum between convenience and safety. A system that requires ten layers of authentication may be very difficult to attack, but it may also be so inconvenient that it will never be used. At the opposite end, a system with no means of authentication or authorization is highly convenient for users but also highly insecure. Many systems now offer an option for two factor authentication, which requires an additional piece of information beyond or in place of the traditional username and password combination. Some two factor authentication systems may involve additional devices such as mobile phones and tablets. These two factor authentication systems may ask the user to enter a code sent to a mobile device or to take an action on the mobile device that is then transmitted back to an authentication server to complete the login process.
One downside of two factor authentication systems that involve mobile devices is that repeated illegitimate login attempts by malicious third parties may cause a flood of notifications to the mobile device, annoying users. Some traditional systems may allow a user to block notifications from being pushed to their mobile device. However, in these systems the user may be unaware that notifications are now being blocked and may become frustrated by the failure of their subsequent login attempts. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved systems and methods for completing multi-factor authentication via mobile devices.